Solacian Travels: Road to the Estival Cup!
by MJ Rivers
Summary: New Region, new adventures. Two cousins set their sights on one of the Solacian Region's most coveted trophies, the Estival Cup. But the Road leading up to the tournament is littered with trials, and a charismatic but mysterious man promises to lead the region into a new era. The events leading to the Zenith Conference will begin to unfold in Part 1 of Solacian Travels!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, and welcome to my first ever Pokemon Fanfiction! :D I've read a lot of them and had my own idea for a story for a while now, and i thought i'd give it a shot and submit my own! This is the first story of any kind i've EVER written, so bare with me while i'm in my novice state. :P I welcome any constructive criticism or suggestions to the story, and hope to learn a lot about story writing to create a great Saga! **

**Before we begin, i'll just say that i do not own Pokemon, not even in my dreams.**

"Freedom! Ahahaha!" Over the sounds of the waves crashing into the large boat, a young new trainer's eagerness can be heard from the deck. "Erick calm down, we're still 2 hours away from the mainland." A black haired boy said, annoyed by his cousin's outburst. He understood, however. After 2 years abroad attending a mandatory Pokemon Academy, it felt great to finally be able to start a journey into the large Region they called home, the region of Solacia.

"Come on Marek, we're finally away from that boring island school! Have a little fun!" Responded Erick. Marek continued to just lean against the railing, content on feeling the ocean spray and celebrating inwardly. Yes he was practically bursting with joy, but he couldn't show it, he was the calm one. To join Erick in his celebration would be to go against his nature. He was Marek, the calm, rational kid while his cousin was the loud, reckless one. He was content to just stare out into the sea, watching and smiling at the Mantine and Seaking that swam close to the boat. Erick continued,

"I mean, We both passed the final exams, so we'll get our Mystery Pokemon as soon as we get to the Dock!" Solacian Trainers got their Starters a little different than in the other regions. After passing the final exams and ensuring that they'll survive traveling across the Region alone, they are randomly given a Pokeball with their Starter inside. However, the 3 Starters from every region method was still in use in a few Labs throughout the Region. "And from there, we conquer the Solacian League." Said Marek, smiling at their long term goal. _'Baby steps cousin, there are many things to do before we get there.'_

xXx

"Alright, Trainers #27, 28, and 29, the moment you've been waiting for is here." Professor Emmanuel Grove, a man who appeared to be in his late-40's and was wearing the standard lab coat over khakis, dramatically said to the awaiting Trainers. Marek stood on the Prof.'s left, letting only a smile through his calm demeanor. He had now changed into his Trainer clothes, which consisted of a black bandana folded on his forehead, a gray jacket, red hoodie and shirt, gray cargo pants, and red High-Top Sneakers. Erick was in front of the Professor, barely containing his excitement, wearing a deep green vest over a white long sleeved shirt, with gray jeans and green sneakers similar to Marek's. Trainer 29 stood a good distance away from the 2 cousins and looked at them with disinterest. He had his black hair in a greaser hairstyle, and was wearing a black windbreaker over a white shirt, jeans, and black slip-on shoes.

"Well boys, you've been patient enough, so I'll give you what you came for. Let's see... Marek, you come up first!" Marek's heart pounded as he neared the professor. With a shaky hand he reached out as the older man took the Pokeball out of his coat pocket and handed it gently to the new Trainer. Marek stared at the sphere, taking in it's weight and appearance before deciding to call out the Pokemon within. "Pokeball, go!" With a flash, his new Pokemon materialized from the red light. It stood at about a foot tall, had mostly brown fur with a cream colored furry collar and tail tip. "Ahh, you got an Eevee! They're such an adaptable species, with so many different evolutions to choose from." Admired the Professor.

"Mine Next!" exclaimed Erick, receiving an elbow jab and a shush from Marek. "Oh! Of course!" chuckled the Prof, and handed another Poke Ball to Erick. As soon as the capsule dropped into his palm Erick enlarged it and released his new Pokémon. This one was about twice as big as Eevee, with shorter black fur, a red underbelly and muzzle, and what looked like ribs around it's midsection.

"Well Erick, you've Got a Houndour! They're very intelligent and great at teamwork, making it a good addition to the team of a novice Trainer!" The Professor turned from Erick, who was marveling at the canine Pokémon, and turned to Trainer 29.

"Ok... Oziel, yours is last." Oziel's expression remained mostly the same, only standing up straighter as he was handed the Pokeball. Pointing it to the space in front of him, the third Trainer sent out his new Pokémon, which was a primarily white with red arms and a zigzag across its abdomen, with two wickedly sharp claws on both front limbs. Seeing the two other Pokémon, it quickly switched to a bipedal position and tensed up.

"A Zangoose." said the Professor, with a worried look on his face. "I'm not sure if this is a good choice for your starter, as they are temperamental and difficult to control for beginners. Would you like a replacement?"

"No thanks Professor Mangrove, I'm sure me and Zangoose will get along perfectly." Responded Oziel, for the first time having a small smile. The Cat Ferret Pokémon examined it's new Trainer before bowing, finding him as a suitable partner. "Well, now that you all are familiar with your new Pokémon, there's something else I must give you." Mangrove said to the Trainers, opening a metal briefcase on his desk.

"Boys, here are your brand new Pokédexes!" the devices looked similar to a smartphone, consisting mostly of a 5 inch touchscreen in the front, with a camera, Pokeball logo, and a small solar panel on the back. These looked much different from the old Pokédexes. The backs were color coded for each Trainer; Red for Marek, Green for Erick, and Black for Oziel.

"These handy devices contain knowledge gathered over time about every Pokémon native to our region, as well as a map, other features that I'll let you figure out on your own." with a smile, Professor Mangrove handed each of them their devices. "Each Pokédex is registered in your name, and you can access your trainer profile through it!" The Professor said as he stood in front of the Trainers. "I'm not one for long speeches, so I'll just make this short. Each of you have a task, of catching and training your Pokémon, and whether you're aspiring to challenge the Pokémon League, or pursue a career in the fields of science, it is important that you raise your Pokémon not as tools, but as friends and partners. And as partners, they have just as much to do with your achievements as you do. Now, get outta here! Go start your journey across this beautiful region!" With a grin ,the Professor ushered the three boys out of his office, preparing for the next trio of trainers.

xXx

"Hey! Oziel was it? Wanna have a battle?!" proposed Erick, eager to test the strength of his new Pokémon. The taller Trainer accepted the challenge with a simple "Sure." With each trainer standing at one side of a small field in the back of the lab, Marek took the time to test his new Pokédex. _**"Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. It uses different cries to communicate with others of its kind while pursuing it's prey. This Pokémon has the ability Flash Fire and knows the moves Ember, Smog, Howl, and Bite. It's power level is 10.**_" informed the Pokedex, with a robotic voice that sounded vaguely like the Professors. Doing the same with Zangoose, Marek learned that it knows the moves Swords Dance, Scratch, Quick Attack, and Leer. Once both Trainers were ready, The battle began.

"Houndour/Zangoose, go!" both Pokémon were released in a flash of red light. "Zangoose Quick Attack!" before Erick or Houndour were ready Zangoose launched forward with surprising speed slammed it's shoulder into the small dogs side, who was pushed back into the ground with a yelp. "Houndour! You okay?!" the Pokémon stood back up and gave a loud Howl. "Get him back with a Bite!" "Counter with Scratch!" Houndour lunged forward to bite it's opponents leg, but Zangoose pivoted to the side and raked it's sharp claws across the same side he hit with Quick Attack.

"Ember!" "Scratch one more time!" Taking the Ember at point blank, Zangoose again utilized it's sharp claws, to attack the tired dog. Houndour, having endured a good deal of damage, collapsed. "Houndour is unable to battle, which means Zangoose and Oziel are the winners!" announced Marek. Both trainers recalled their Pokémon, with Erick visibly disappointed in losing his first battle. Before any of the Trainers could say anything, a voice called out from the Lab.

"Ozzie!" it was the voice of a male, who was coming towards the three boys with a girl. The boy was a year older than the 15 year olds Marek and Erick, and was wearing tan cargo shorts, a black shirt, and black shoes. The girl seemed 14, and had long black hair, with tight black pants, a white shirt with a pink hoodie, and white shoes. Each hand a Pokeball in their hand. "We just got Our Pokémon! Ready to go? " new Trainer asked. "I'm Carlos, and this is Lucy." he said as he introduced himself and the girl to two cousins. "We're gonna challenge the Pokémon League as soon as we have all 8 required badges!"

"I'm Marek and he's Erick, and we're challenging the league too!"

"It was nice meeting you two, maybe we'll bump into each other again sometime!" Carlos said, before he turned to his traveling companions. "we better get going guys. We should make it to the next town by nightfall if we hurry." with a wave, Carlos left for the City's eastern gate, followed by Lucy and Oziel.

"Are we leaving too?" asked Erick. "Not yet, we've gotta pass by my house first. My mom said they were waiting for us." responded Marek, and with that the two cousins left the lab and headed to the northern side of the city.

xXx

**That's it for now! Let me know what you think, what you liked or disliked and why, or just leave a review! for the next chapter i might need some OCs, so if you have a character you'd like to submit just send me a PM. i'll need:**

**2-3 low leveled or first evolution Pokemon, since the cousins are just starting out. **

**Name, appearance, and personality of your trainer.**

**Where they're from. (Since i haven't gotten to mentioning many cities yet, any city/ town from any region [or possibly your own region if you feel like having your protagonist show up in my story] are welcome. or, you can just have me pick one of my cities for them.)**

**Anything i left out or forgot to mention.**

**If i like your OCs and decide to use them, i might send you a message, whether to tell you ill use them or to ask any questions.**

**Thanks for reading guys! **


	2. Chapter 2

After about twenty minutes of walking, the two new Trainers reached a blue and white one story house. Hanging above the door was a banner that read, 'Congratulations!'. As they stepped onto the porch the door swung open, and a pair of arms grabbed each trainer and pulled them in.

"Congratulations my boys!"

Their grandfather, Joshua, exclaimed, bringing them into an Ursaring hug. He was a short, dark and leathery skinned man, with gray stubble and balding hair. The two cousins were much closer to each other than they preferred to be and wriggled out of their grandpa's tight embrace and greeted everyone else.

"Welcome back, Marek!" Now it was Marek who would be pulled into a hug, this time by his mother, Myra. However, he had no problem returning it, since he had not seen his mom for 8 months.

"Come here Erick, don't think you can just stand there and not hug your own grandma!"

With a yank Erick was enveloped by his other grandparent, Carmela. She was also short, the dark red hair on her head barely reaching Erick's chin, although not as short as her husband. She was, however, just as enthusiastic as everyone else to have her grandkids back home after 4 years at the Academy.

With the hugfest over, Marek noticed the house felt a bit empty.

"Where's dad? And Aunt Lola and Uncle Emile?"

Myra's happy smile turned into a disappointed frown.

"Your father was called to the Lunao Islands about a week ago. He really wanted to be here for when you got back, but they said it was important." she said, with a sigh.

Marek's father was a Solacian Official, a high ranking and powerful trainer used by the League to handle Pokémon-related situations across the Region.

"And Erick, your family wanted to be here, but apparently something disturbed the Pokémon in the Eccentric Forest, and that whole route is closed."

Both trainers were visibly disappointed by the news. Marek hadn't seen his father in person since he started his third year at the Academy, and Erick had been away from his family for a year.

"Bah, to heck with them! More cake for us!" Said their grandpa, in between mouthfuls of chocolate cake.

"Joshua! Have some respect, it's their cake!" scolded Carmela, taking away her husband's plate of cake slices and slapping his hands away as they reached for more.

"it's ok mom, maybe we'll run into them on our journey." said Marek.

"That's right!" exclaimed Erick, "Appocrest City has a Gym, we'll visit my parents before we challenge it!"

"That's great, boys. However, just because they're not here doesn't mean they didn't send you guys a graduation present." Said Myra with a wink. The cousins looked at each other, and then to the two small wooden boxes next to the cake.

"Go ahead, open them!"

No sooner were those words said that each trainer had their corresponding boxes in their hands. Marek shook his box and heard something roll inside, bringing a smile to his face.

"Your Father didn't forget the promise he made you and Erick, honey."

As he lifted as lifted the lid off the top of the box, Marek looked in amazement. Inside was a beautifully crafted Pokéball, with a light gray bottom half and button in the center, and reflective steel band around the middle what caught his eye was the top half of the ball. Unlike the standard red Pokéball, it was a darker, deeper red, which seemed to glow and pulse slightly.

Taking it out slowly and carefully as if made of glass instead of durable steel, Marek, lifted his arm and aimed it at the space in front of him. A red laser came from the ball and began to materialize the creature within. Once it was done the Pokémon gave a high pitched growl. Marek didn't need his Pokédex to figure out it's name, he knew everything about this Pokémon's species.

"A Charmander." Was all he could say.

"Fahren laid an egg a few months ago, and this Charmander is the first one that hatched." Marek's mother informed him. Fahren was one of his father's Charizard, the name short for Fahrenheit.

"A Bulbasaur! How awesome is this!?"

Unlike Marek, Erick could not contain his excitement and knelt down in front of the four legged Pokémon, studying it. The Bulbasaur apparently did not like to have its personal space violated, and left a red mark on its trainers cheek as it extended a vine and slapped Erick.

"Well, the boy's certainly won't have any trouble controlling they're new Pokémon." Said Carmela with a chuckle.

"You know boys, this is a vast, untamed Region, maybe I should go on a journey and collect badges with you two!" suggested Joshua, with a big grin.

The two boys looked at each other, then at their grandma, silently begging for help. It would do no help to their popularity to be traveling with their grandfather.

"Oh hush Joshua! Traveling the Region is no adventure for a man your age!" said Carmela, saving her grandkids from that embarrassment.

"Nonsense, Poliwrath can handle any wild Pokémon!" The old man bragged, unclipping his oldest Pokémon's ball from his belt and holding it in his hand.

"You'll have a heart attack as soon as you have an exciting battle!"

"Ok! I say we have some cake before the boys leave on their journey!" Mayra said, breaking up the argument between her parents.

xXx

"How long will it take to get to the next nearest Gym?" Erick wondered aloud.

They both decided that leaving the Fire Type Gym in Kelso City for their last gym battle would he best, as they could come earn their 8th badge and revisit their families.

"Hmm, I'm not sure actually. Does Varsaville Town have one?"

After having left Marek's house and eaten a slice of cake (A Water Pulse accident from Grandpa's Poliwrath prevented everyone from getting a second slice), the two trainers were now walking by the city limits, and would be reaching the Gate.

Kelso City was surrounded by a large stone wall, like a lot of the big cities in Solacia were. It was a remnant of the Old Age, when Pokémon were more savage and humans had not learned how to train them. The Gate, once used to let travelers in and out, was not a necessity anymore but was kept manned by guards to continue the City's tradition.

"Guys! Wait up!"

The tranquility of the area was broken as the distant voice of a teenager called out to the cousins. Startled, they turned around to see who was trying to catch up to them.

A boy, in a white Jean jacket, dark blue jeans, black combat boots, and black shirt with the Fire Type symbol at the center was running towards them on the path. From a distance he was unfamiliar, but the two cousins could correctly guess who it was from a mile away thanks to his deep, blood red hair. It was flat in the middle but cane up in spikes around the sides, giving it a slight resemblance to horns.

Running a few feet behind him was a small blue Pokémon with stubby legs, and gray ridges on it's head.

"Ryu? I thought he'd be ahead of us by now." said Marek.

"Hey Ryu! What're you doing so behind us? You were one of the first of the boat!" Asked Erick, now that Ryu had closed the distance between them.

"Man, I'm glad you guys stopped, it isn't easy running in these boots!" said Ryu, catching his breath before answering the question. The Pokémon that was with him also tried to catch its breath as it panted heavily

"I wanted to visit some of my family before I left, I didn't plan on taking so long but I guess I took longer than I thought." He answered.

Ryu then noticed that both of his friends had TWO Pokéballs on their belt as opposed to his lone one.

"You guys have two each already?! We Barely got off the boat!"

"Yeah, we got one from the Professor and one from my dad." Said Marek, a little embarrassed that that his Pokémon were given to him instead of earned. He eyed Ryu's Pokémon with curiosity, noticing the teeth protruding from its mouth and it's reptilian features.

"Well, it just so happens that I also got my Pokémon from my dad." Said Ryu, gesturing to the Blue creature which was standing proudly. "One of his Pokémon laid an egg and I got to keep the Bagon."

"Ya know, it's a little known rule that trainers who make eye contact HAVE to battle." Erick said with a sly smile.

"No! You already had a battle today, let me!" protested Marek.

"Rules are rules!"

Ryu just stood there, nervously watching the two cousins argue.

"Alright fine! But I get the next two trainers we run into!"

"Deal! Now let's move to the side of the road so I can show Ryu how I'll dominate the League!"

xXx

"This will be a one on one battle between Ryu James Ushima, and Erick Castellan. Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Bulbasaur, let's get 'em!"

"Bagon, go!"

Erick's Pokémon materialized in front of him, as the Bagon quickly moved onto the field and began eying Bulbasaur and it's trainer. The

Seed Pokémon returned the dragon's glare with an unflinching and determined stare.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!"

Erick wasted no time in going on the offensive as Bulbasaur released its vine in a blur and catching Bagon unprepared. Bagon did not try to dodge but rather lowered it's head and took on the attack, flinching but otherwise seemingly unharmed.

"Now it's our turn! Bagon, Dragon Rage!"

Bulbasaur scrambled to avoid the green draconic flames. It was not fast enough, and let out a cry as its hand legs were singed.

"Bulbasaur Tackle!"

"Use Headbutt!"

As both Pokémon charged towards each other, Bagon lowered its head again and leapt forward, slamming head on against Bulbasaur and pushing him back. The Grass type Pokémon was visibly stunned, it's legs shaky as it staggered back in front of its trainer.

'Bagon has a hard head, he wasn't even phased by the collision.' Thought Marek, watching the battle intently.

"Headbutt again!"

"Catch him with your vines!"

Bulbasaur's focus came back to him as he began to glow a bright green, signaling his Ability had come into effect.

Bagon leapt high into the air and came down like a torpedo, but just before he made contact again Bulbasaur managed to wrap his vines around its torso.

"Yes! Now slam him into the ground!"

Bulbasaur obeyed, flung the small dragon, and it landed on its belly instead of its head. This time Bagon was hurt, and stumbled to get up and continue fighting. Each trainer silently watched their own Pokémon, knowing it was a matter of time before they fainted.

"Headbutt/Skull Bash!"

Bulbasaur and Bagon charged towards each other once again, lowering their heads and bracing themselves. This time, however, Bulbasaur wrapped it's vines around a two trees and slingshotted himself, faster than Bagon had leapt. A loud _cracK _was heard, and both Pokémon fainted on impact.

"A draw?" Everyone wondered aloud.

"Well, this match ends in a draw!"

Declared Marek, raising his hand.

Erick recalled Bulbasaur and Ryu did the same, Bagon being too heavy to hold comfortably.

"Well, I guess we'll have a rematch later." said Ryu, smiling as he shook hands with Erick. "That Bulbasaur sure is tough."

"And Bagon has a rock hard head, he wasn't hurt by anything that hit it!"

The group of boys finished the remaining walk towards the city Gate, standing on the path that went two ways.

"Which way are you two going?"

"We're heading northwest, towards Hurlyburr City. Are you coming with us?" Asked Marek.

"No, I'm going to South, maybe to Coast City. I hear it has a good Gym for beginners."

"Oh, alright then. See you later man, maybe we'll run into each other again soon."

With that, the group split up, with Ryu going down a hilly path and the cousins heading into the woods.

"Hey Erick, have you ever been in these woods?"

"No, you?"

"Me neither. You think we'll get lost?"

"Nahh, we'll be fine. What's the worst that can happen, going off the path and getting attacked by a horde of rattatas?"

The two boys laughed out loud at that, finding it ridiculous that it could happen to them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to StallsalotHB and Sheaon13 for reviewing (:**

**This is mostly a filler chapter, as I wanted to show the villians.**

_Two days ago:_

West of Kelso City, between it and the Solacian West coast, a large mountain is located. The mountain, named Mt. Royal, is one of the biggest in the world, surpassing Mt. Silver of the Johto Region and Mt. Coronet of the Sinnoh Region. From certain points entire sides of Solacia are visible, all the way to the coasts. One of the many fascinating qualities of Mt. Royal is that it's divided into three, some believe four, different parts.

At its base is a lush, green forest, teeming with many diverse species of Pokémon. The forest continues up the mountain, until it abruptly ends. Ursaring and Slaking live in harmony, and it's not uncommon to see them adopt other species of Pokémon, like Pikachu taking in Aipom.

After the last row of trees, the soil turns from soft, moist and fertile to rocky and dry, eventually becoming all stone. Different species of Pokémon populate this part of the mountain, from Onix to Skarmory to Tyranitar. Little to no shrubbery should be able to grow in the barren soil, but berry trees still manage to find a way to grow.

The last section of the Mountain is the largest, but also the most inhospitable. The ground is permafrosted and the snow is dry. There are no trees, and the only shelters are the few caves or burrows. Only Pokémon designed to survive this environment live here, mainly Mamoswine and other Ice types.

The peak, although just as cold and snowy as the last section, is thought by many to be a different division. No Pokémon inhabit this part, despite its environmental similarities. It's exact age is unknown, always mentioned in old records as being as old as the Solacian Region. The only thing at the peak is an altar. In ancient times, those that were brave or crazy enough would risk the climb to reach this altar. The altar is made up of four thick stone columns on a platform, with a dome in the center. According to ancient writings, this dome is said to contain something called the Terra Sphere, keeping the entire Region in a deep slumber and allowing humans, as well as Pokémon, to live safely on it.

Removing the Terra Sphere would thus awaken the Region, unbalance Nature entirely, and kick off many catastrophic events, putting the whole world in danger. The ancients knew this, and not even the most power hungry conquerors were as foolish as to open the dome.

That was back then, many things have changed.

From the peak of Mt. Royal, a Driftblim descended down to the mountain's base with its Trainer, pushing past the thick canopy of the forest until it landed next to a black and red motorcycle. The man, wearing a thick parka, multiple scarves, and snow boots, recalled the Driftblim and shed his layers until he was wearing a black long sleeved shirt and brown cargo pants.

Starting up his motorcycle he raced away and out of the forest as fast as he could towards the east. The faster he reached his destination the bigger they would pay him, and his client did not liked to be kept waiting.

xXx

"Help! Somebody help us!"

Marek yelled at the top of his lungs as Erick ran beside him, the angry buzzing of Beedrill behind them.

"What a great way to start our journey!"

Said Erick sarcastically.

The problems had started 30 minutes into traveling through the woods, when Marek saw a Pikachu a strayed off the path as he followed it. A stray Thundershock while battling Eevee struck a Beedrill hive, angering it's inhabitants. While the trainers managed to fight off a couple at first, the swarm got larger and they were forced to flee or get stung by the sharp, poisonous stingers.

The swarm resembled a thick yellow cloud and filled the forest with a buzz. The cousins ran and yelled for help, but it seemed that there was no one around.

"I think I'd prefer that horde of Rattatas we mentioned earlier to this."

Said Marek, looking over his shoulder at the Beedrill.

As they stomped through a bush and turned left, an angry roar made both the trainers and the swarm stop in their tracks.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Wondered Erick.

The Pokémon burst from the bushes behind them and leapt over both of them, landing between the humans and the bug Pokémon. Roaring again, it managed to scare away some Beedrill, weakening the group.

It was a large, bulky, light tan Pokémon with a dark blue back. Flames came to life from red spots on its neck as it intimidated the Beedrill.

'Typhlosion: the Volcano Pokémon. If its rage peaks, it becomes so hot that anything that touches it will instantly go up in flames. It rubs its blazing fur together to cause huge explosions.'

Marek's Pokédex read aloud as he scanned the new Pokémon.

"Electivire, Protect them! Typhlosion, dive in and use Eruption!"

The Electivire, standing at around 6 feet tall with black and yellow fur and two black tails, came out from where Typhlosion appeared and created a blue force field around the trainers.

Meanwhile, Typhlosion leapt into the Beedrill swarm. The buzzing grew louder as they descended on the fire type. Then, with a bright flash and a loud boom, a large and powerful fireball expanded outwards from the center of the swarm and engulfed every Beedrill, as well as some trees and bushes.

Marek could feel the heat even from inside the force field, which Electivire seemed to be straining to keep up. The power Typhlosion had was incredible.

'If I don't die from hundreds of stings, I'll probably die in a forest fire.' He thought, yellow flames being all he could see around the Protect.

Finally the flames died down to reveal Typhlosion, standing in a pile of blackened and smoking Beedrill, looking towards the trainers with a goofy grin and it's tongue hanging out.

Marek looked around at the trees, they were also black and singed, but there were no signs of a forest fire starting.

"The trees are too green to catch on fire, especially now in the fall. Can't say the same about the Beedrill though."

The two trainers looked towards the familiar trainer standing behind them. He was only a couple inches taller than them, wearing a black crew neck sweater, dark jeans, and blue sneakers. They recognized him from their first two years at the Academy.

"You guys have been on your own for about 3 hours now, and you've almost gotten killed. Keep track of how many times that happens throughout your journey."

Johnny said, laughing at their situation.

"Johnny? We haven't seen you in like a year!" Said Erick.

Johnny graduated from the Academy when Erick and Marek were in their second year.

"I've been traveling. I decided to come back and try to win this year's Conference."

"Hey Johnny, can you help us get out of here? I don't want to get chased by an Ursaring next." Asked Marek.

Laughing again, Johnny led them both down the path, catching up on each other's exploits since the last time they saw each other.

xXx

The docks of Kelso City were always bustling with tourists and sailors. But today it was especially busy, it was the day he students who graduated from the Solacian Pokémon Academy came back to the mainland to start their journeys. The sound of a motorcycle was almost drowned out by the various sounds of boats and people, and was largely ignored by people passing by.

As the man approached the location he was given, he couldn't help but marvel at the luxurious yacht that was there. It was white and gold, and big enough to comfortably hold a few hundred people.

"Ahh, Morrison, see you like my boat."

A raspy voice called down from the sun deck to the gawking man. It was enough to snap the man out of his thoughts, who quickly looked up to where the voice came from.

On the sun deck, a man in his early 40's was leaning down by the rails, wearing a white suit and purple dress shirt. His black gelled hair was beginning to show some gray, but his tan face was wrinkle free, and his eyes were completely unseen behind his sunglasses. As he waved Morrison up towards him, various gold rings with semiprecious stones gleamed in the sun.

Once Morrison was up on the sun deck, he was greeted with a hug from his employer. Despite the friendliness and relaxed attitude from him, Morrison was still nervous, knowing more about the man than was shown. He knew what he was capable of.

"I trust that you brought back the Sphere." it was not a question, it was a statement.

"Y-yes sir."

Morrison stumbled out his answer, and mentally kicked himself for revealing his nervousness.

"Good. You know I do not like to be failed." The man rasped out, sounding like he had a sore throat.

"Y-yes sir, I know."

Reaching into his pouch, Morrison pulled out a metal cylinder and unscrewed the lid, showing the shiny brown Sphere.

"Beautiful. And as promised, here is your payment."

Morrison watched as the man pulled a thick stack a bills from his suit pocket and switched it into his hands, taking the cylinder. After a few seconds of staring at the money, a large grin broke out on his face.

"300,000 Poke-yen, plus an extra 50,000 for expenses and fast delivery."

Said the man, finding Morrison's amazement at the sum enjoyable.

"Thank you Mr. Dante, thank you!"

Morrison threw himself at Dante's feet, tears of joy escaping and wetting the Poke-leather shoes.

"No no Morrison, thank you. You're bounty hunting services are greatly appreciated." Dante responded, picking him off the floor and giving him a handkerchief. The amount he paid for the Terra Sphere was nothing. The power he could unleash with it was worth it, and his bank account would not be dented.

"Now, go back to your family, and take Janice out to somewhere nice for now, she's a wonderful woman."

"Yes Mr. Dante. And again, thank you." with a bow, Morrison kissed one of Dante's rings, and left on his motorcycle, the engine covering up his laughs of happiness. As soon as he left, a boy approached the ship from where he was waiting. He stood in front of Dante, his black jacket and pants the opposite of Dante's white outfit.

"Son, how did it go with Professor Grove?" Asked Dante, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It went fine, he gave me a Zangoose."

The Mongoose Pokémon was released from its ball and began growling at Dante before it sensed the authority he emanated and stopped.

"A Zangoose. Such a ruthless and cunning creature. It is fitting, in a way, that he be your Pokémon."

Dante bent down to examine the Pokémon, who kept his head down.

"It's time for you to go on your mission now, you have an important role in my plans. I'll be contacting you once in a while to see how the plan is doing."

With a hug, the father and his son said there farewells.

"One more thing. Take this, I think it'll help you more on your journey."

Dante pulled a Pokeball from his other pocket and tossed it to his son. Curious, he released the Pokémon inside.

At about two feet tall, it was brown in color and had a large head with two sharp hooked teeth poking out, a short tail, and thick hand legs.

"It's a Tyrunt." Dante told him. "Trained right, I think you have more than enough firepower to complete your mission. Do not fail Team Mutiny, Oziel. But more importantly, do not fail ME."

With a stiff nod, Oziel walked away from his father's yacht and towards the Pokémon Center, where his friends were waiting on him to start their journey.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for taking so long to update, but I wanted to plan out more of the story to get the plot going. Plus, I had to rewrite the chapter when it got deleted. But now that I know which direction I'm taking this story, updates should be coming sooner and more regularly!** "Eevee, Quick Attack!" The little brown Pokémon dashed towards his opponent, a wild Stantler, almost faster than the eye could follow and slammed into it's side. The Pokémon staggered but stayed upright, and tried to attack with a Stomp. It was a young Stantler, so it did not have the stamina to keep up with the captive Pokémon. Eevee easily sidestepped the attack, then another, and ran through the Stantler's legs to appear behind it. "Jump onto it's back and use Bite!" The Big Horn Pokémon had no time to react as Eevee leapt and buried it's small, sharp teeth into the back of its neck. Stantler bucked in an effort to knock it's small opponent off of it, but the thrashing only made Eevee bite harder. With a groan, the Stantler collapsed onto the ground, defeated. Eevee climbed off of its back and jumped into it's Trainer's arms, pushing him back. "You did great, Eevee! Your stamina is getting a lot better, Quick Attack barely tired you out." It had been two days since the start of their journey. Marek, Erick, and Jony had gotten out of the forest at dusk, and decided to sleep in Serenity Town's Pokémon Center. Before the others had woken up, Marek decided to go back into the forest's edge to train. The sun was barely starting to illuminate to sky, the various Flying types that nested in the trees beginning to wake up. Marek could see how Serenity Town got its name, it was a peaceful place, rare in today's modern world. As Marek walked along the path, searching for more Pokémon to battle, he felt as though he was being watched. Turning around, he saw the source of those sensations. Standing between the trees was a Pokémon on all fours with shaggy, white fur. With three claws on each foot, dark blue tail, and a sharp, wicked sickle shaped horn, it could easily take on any Pokémon in these woods, Marek included. _'Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol have the ability to foretell the coming of natural disasters. It lives in a harsh, rugged mountain environment. This Pokémon very rarely ventures down from the mountains and has a life-span of 100 years...'_ Marek stopped listening to the rest of the information his Pokédex read aloud. He froze as the Absol's blood red eyes met his. They seemed to stare through him, inspecting his very being. For a moment, Marek sensed this Absol was not a regular Pokémon. He couldn't quite figure it out, but there was something abnormal about this one compared to other Absol he had seen in pictures. He was broken from his trance however as Absol let out a loud, bone chilling roar. Marek was startled, and every Pokémon that was asleep had woken up. The tranquility of the woods was disturbed, and Marek almost tripped over his own feet as he ran from the beast and towards the town. He decided that there had been enough training for the morning. **_xXx_** "Hmm, no trainer has reported seeing an Absol at any time in the woods." Said the Nurse Joy, as she handed back the two Pokéballs to Marek. "You sure you didn't get it confused with a different Pokémon?" "Positive, I even scanned it with my Pokedex." " There are some hills around here aren't there? Maybe it came down from there." Inquired Erick, leaning on the desk. "Well there is, but no Absol have been recorded as living there." As the cousins continued to talk to Nurse Joy, Jony sat in the lobby, rolling a Pokeball around in his hand and reading a flyer that was on the coffee table. "78th annual Estival Cup!" headlined the paper in large bold letters, with more information spread out across the red-orange paper. "Continuing on with the Solacian tradition, the 78th Estival Cup, which will take place in Triton City, will be held in preparation for next year's Solacian Zenith Conference! From June 1st to June 31st, Trainers eligible to compete will from far and wide and battle for the chance to lift the Estival Cup! To participate, you must meet the following requirements: ●Valid Trainer's License ●At least 4 western Solacian Gym Badges ●Register before the May 15th deadline "Hey Jony, we leaving yet?" The older boy looked up from the flyer at Marek, who had gotten back his Pokémon. "Yeah, let's go. We should make it to Hurlyburr City by the evening if we leave now." Folding the flyer in half and putting it in his pocket, Jony stood up and joined the other two by the door. The three trainers walked out the doors and walked west, towards the rocky hills. As they left the town behind them and marched across the terrain, Erick had a thought. "Hey guys, what day is it today?" "March 22nd." Said Jony, looking ahead at the path. "And when is the Estival Cup?" "June 1st." "So we have... about two and a half months to get ready for it." Said Marek, joining in on the conversation. "You two want to compete in the Cup?" asked Jonny, looking at the trainers. "Yeah!" Exclaimed Erick. "Not just compete, we want to _win_." Marek told Jony. "You guys do know that this is a tough tournament, right? No age divisions. Two months isn't enough time for you two to prepare for that level of competition." "Jony, me and Marek will do great! We've been planning on participating in the Estival Cup ever since we wanted to be Trainers." Erick said, now with a serious tone. "Okay." Sighed Jonny, throwing his hands up. "Suit yourselves." _**xXx**_ "So this is Hurlyburr City." Said Marek, although he could barely be heard over the sounds of the city. As the trio walked to the Gym, they were surprised at how loud the city actually was. There were crowds of people everywhere, walking by or gathered around on the sidewalk. The buildings weren't very tall, but every block was packed with stores and restaurants, and a steady stream of customers entered and left the businesses. The metropolitan city was alive with activity, the fact that it was almost 7 p.m and the traffic jams not bothering the pedestrians milling about. After walking around the city, getting lost, losing and later finding Erick, the trio finally arrived across the street from the Gym. As they walked forward to the building, a familiar face came out the door. "Hey Marek, isn't that Oziel?" Erick asked, pointing towards the direction of the trainer. "Oziel!" The trainer dressed in black quickly looked up when he heard his name, and relaxed somewhat when he saw who called out to him. He tensed up again however when he saw an unknown trainer with Marek and Erick. "Jony, this is Oziel. We graduated and got our starters at the same time." Marek introduced the two, who only nodded at each other. "Did you challenge the Gym Leader?" "Yeah." Oziel simply answered. "What type do they use?" asked Erick. "Fighting types. I gotta go to the Pokémon Center now, later guys." With that, Oziel turned his back and began walking across the street. "Hopefully you can give me a rematch soon! I've been getting better!" Erick called out to him, only receiving a thumbs up in response. "He sure is friendly." Jony's sarcastic comment went ignored by the other two. The three trainers walked into the Gym, and the city's noise was replaced with rock music, grunts and clanking. The Gym apparently served as an actual gym, with various sweaty adults on treadmills or lifting dumbells. As they walked around, they approached a man who was bench pressing what Marek thought was more than his weight. "Umm excuse me, do you know where we can find the Gym Leader?" Marek asked. The man finished his set and sat up, red faced and sweaty. He wore Navy blue sweatpants with two gold stripes down both legs, a tight long sleeved shirt that was also Navy Blue with a figure of man in a karate stance in gold on the chest, and running shoes. He looked to be in his mid-40's but in good shape, with gray stubble. "You're looking for me then kid. I'm Derek, Hurlyburr City's Gym Leader." Derek wasn't much taller than Marek, but his muscular frame made him look much bigger. "Then I, Marek Castellan, challenge you to a Gym Battle!" "And so do I!" Said Erick, moving next to Marek. "Alright then, I'll take both of you on at the same time." Said Derek, scratching his chin. "What about you Twiggy, wanna make it three on one?" He said to Jony. "No thanks, I'll take you one on one." "Suit yourself then. Come on, I'll show you to the battlefield." _**xXx**_ Derek led them to the back of the Gym, where the rectangular field made of packed earth was located. Derek stood on the far side of the field, while Marek and Erick stood on the left and right of the other side. Jony was seated at the bleachers on the side of the room, along with others who had stopped working out to watch the battle. "This will be a two on one Double Battle between the Hurlyburr City Gym Leader Derek, and challengers Marek and Erick Castellan of Kelso City!" The referee announced. Erick stared at the man reciting the rules not paying attention. He tapped his foot impatiently, nervous and excited for his first Gym battle. He turned to Marek, who was staring at their opponent with a serious facade and determined look, but could see the nervousness in him as well as his arms shook. "Each Trainer will use one Pokémon with no substitutions. May the battle begin!" Before the referee's flag was all the way down, Derek sent out his chosen Pokémon. Facing Erick was a gray skinned Pokémon the size of a small child. _'Machop, the Superpower Pokémon. It hefts a Graveler repeatedly to strengthen its entire body. Its muscles never cramp however much it trains. Average height: 2'7". Average weight: 43 lbs.'_ Erick turned to scan the other Pokémon Derek sent out. It had purple skin, three fingers, and looked to be dressed like a wrestler. _'Tyrogue, the Scuffle Pokémon. It is famous for its eagerness to fight and always nurses injuries from challenging larger foes. To make itself stronger, it keeps on fighting even if it loses. Average height: 2'4". Average weight: 46 lbs.' _ "Are you two runts gonna send out your Pokémon or just stand there? I'm cooling down!" Derek called out, taunting them. "Eevee/Bulbasaur, go!" As both Pokémon materialized in front of their trainers, they spotted their opponents and waited for orders. "Machop use Bullet Punch! Tyrogue, Rock Smash!" Before Bulbasaur could react Machop sprung forward and landed a punch on its cheek. Eevee had more time and leapt back, Tyrogue's fist cracking the ground in front of it. "Eevee Double Team and Tackle!" "Bulbasaur hit it with Vine Whip!" Eevee ran around Tyrogue in a circle, leaving 5 identical copies surrounding it. Machop parried the first Vine that struck out at it but didn't see the second Vine, which hit his chest and sent him stumbling back. "Feel the ground when it attacks and use Counter Tyrogue! Machop, Mega Punch!" Tyrogue laid it's palm flat against the ground and tensed up, awaiting impact. Machop raised it's fast, which glowed with a white light, and charged Bulbasaur. As Eevee ran into Tyrogue's back and pushed him forward, the Fighting type turned around in the air and managed to grab onto it, slamming his for onto the ground and pinned it. "Close range Swift!" The nervousness in Marek was apparent now as his voice shook. "Bind and Poison Powder!" Eevee stopped squirming and unleashed a stream of star shaped energy into Tyrogue's face. The Pokémon was blown back but did not take too much damage. Meanwhile, Bulbasaur managed to immobilize Machop with it's vines and lifted him into the air. From it's bulb, the Seed Pokémon released a cloud of poisonous spores. Once the Machop had inhaled the particles, Bulbasaur slammed him into the ground. Machop got up faster this time, let out a cry and began flexing his muscles. He seemed more energized now, despite having been poisoned. From the bleachers the spectators cheered on the Gym Leader and taunted the challengers, expecting him to end the battle soon. "Ya should've trained more before challenging Derek with those baby Pokemon, shrimps!" One muscly viewer jeered, earning a roar of laughter from the others. Jony sat silently, and paid attention to the man's fighting style. _'He's all about overpowering them with brawn rather than using technique, which is what makes Fighting types so formidable.'_ "Now you've done it kid, you've activated Guts! Machop, back him up with Dual Chop and don't let up! Tyrogue, feint and Rock Smash! Let's wrap this pre-work out up!" Machop let out another cry and charged forward once more, both of its hands glowing with energy. Bulbasaur dodged to the sides and parried with its vines, but Machop was quicker and landed two hits. Tyrogue meanwhile feinted moving left, but pivoted to the spot Eevee moved to and landed a hard left hook across it's face. _'Tyrogue knows which side Eevee dodges to, it's got us figured out now.' _ Marek took a quick look towards Bulbasaur, who was also having trouble dodging Machop's onslaught. '_From the looks of it Bulbasaur is also having some trouble. I know how to fix this_.' "Erick, switch places with Eevee and reset!" Erick picked up on what his cousin had in mind, a double battle strategy they had worked on for such occasions. Ordering Bulbasaur to move across the field, he now had Eevee in front of him and facing Machop. The child sized Pokémon was shaking, feeling the effects of the poison. "Bulbasaur Skull Bash!" "Eevee, circle around and use Quick Attack!" "Counter Tyrogue!" Lowering it's head, the Grass type raced forward and crashed into Tyrogue. Tyrogue managed to wrap his arms around its torso, and both Pokémon went tumbling. On the other side of the field, Eevee dashed around Machop erratically, before catching him off guard. As the brown furred Pokémon slammed into it's side, Machop tried to catch it in his arms but was not used to Eevee's speed. Eevee pulled back and repeated the attack. While Tyrogue was wrestling with Bulbasaur's vines, the Grass Pokémon Tackled him unexpectedly. Tyrogue was flung back, and struggled to get back on its feet. "Machop, Mega Punch that little rat!" Derek hollered, the prospect of losing the battle making him raise his voice. Machop was also stressed, and swung carelessly at his opponent, missing wildly and went stumbling. "Headbutt!" Eevee took advantage of the opening and clashed heads with Machop with a crack, who fell face first into the ground, fainted before he even landed. "Tyrogue and Machop are unable to battle! Marek and Erick Castellan are the winners!" The referee announced the obvious to those watching who sat in silence. Recalling his Pokémon, Derek walked across the field towards the two trainers and clapped them on their shoulders. "What a battle!" He laughed. The spectators broke the silence with loud cheers and claps, content with the underdog victory. "Switching sides and throwing me off my strategy isn't something many newbies know to do!" Reaching into his sweatpants pocket, Derek pulled out two circular badges. It was metallic and all dark blue, outlined in gold, and had the same Karate stance figure in gold at the center. The two cousins stared in awe, admiring their first badges and handling them with care. They both pinned them into the inside of their coats. "Along with the physical badge, a digital one will be uploaded to your Trainer's Account as proof in case you lose those." Derek walked the two to the front of the Gym and to the door. Marek then realized Jonny wasn't with them. "Your friend wants to face me one on one now. I suggest you go heal your Pokémon and come back to watch the remainder of our battle. He'll need a cheering section." With a chuckle, Derek pushed them out the door. Marek and Erick began silently walking towards the Pokémon Center. After a while, it was Erick who broke the silence. "We just won our first Gym battle." He said simply. "Yup." After another brief silence, they both broke out in laughter, happy and excited that they were closer to qualifying for the Estival Cup. **And that was the first Gym Battle! As the story progresses I want to go deeper into the region's history. Oziel has been established as a "bad guy" and our hero's goal has been set. Also, an Absol appears to Marek, could that be a bit of foreshadowing...? Keep reading to find out! Thanks for viewing, don't forget to comment any thoughts or questions and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**As requested, I will now start putting the known Pokémon teams of introduced characters at the beginning, and (if needed) update them at the end.**

**Jonny- Electivire, Typhlosion**

**Marek- Charmander, Eevee**

**Erick- Bulbasaur, Houndour**

**Oziel- Tyrunt, Zangoose**

**Also, thanks to Pokestets23 for the reviews! I remember reading Twins of the West Star, as well as the Jakob Spruce and Drake Smith stories, so to get feedback from such an author is amazing.  
Anyways, on to the story!**

The tranquility of the Pokemon ranch in which Prof. Emanuel Grove (or Mangrove, for short) slept and worked at was a far cry from Hurlyburr City. The Hoothoot and Noctowl could be heard in the peaceful darkness, as the only sound came from the Professor's lab. The faint humming of the computer and machinery, as well as the classical music playing in the background, had become the norm as the middle-aged man worked at his desk.

Grasped between his hands were the bones of two Nidorino; one recently brought in by archeologists at Slate City, the other from an old Nidorino that had lived on the ranch a few years ago. The bones of the ancient Poison Pin Pokemon had been delivered along with those of other species. When compared to the modern bones, they were always larger and slightly different, and it was Prof. Grove who had to come up with an explanation.

""Professor!"

The sudden breach of the room's calmness startled the man, causing him to drop the bones onto his desk with a clatter.

"Mew's Tail Adella! You startled me!" Prof. Grove said to his assistant.

Adella was a thin, brunette girl in her late teen years, wearing a yellow blouse under the mandatory lab coat, white capri's, and yellow shoes. Outgoing and curious, she almost reached the height of her boss, who was not a short man. She burst through the door, clutching what looked like a postcard-sized metal square.

"Professor! It's Howie, from the Mt. Royal Research Base! There's something going on over there!"

The Professor stared at his young helper with a puzzled expression. "Adella, what's all the fuss about?"

Rather than use her words, Adella pressed the button on the card, and a hologram of a long haired man appeared from the center.

"Professor Mangrove,

Lately, the peace and quiet of the Royal Forest has been upset. Whatever spell the mountain had over the Pokemon has been broken, as they've begun fighting amongst themselves over territory. The apex Pokemon have chased the weaker ones farther and farther from the deep forest and towards the edge, where the berries aren't as plentiful.  
To add onto our worries, Mt. Royal has been constantly rumbled. Chief Keen Eye, the leader of a Native Solacian tribe here, believed the mountain has been disturbed, and climbed to the peak with 3 tribesmen. Only two survived the climb down, as the third could not get medical attention fast enough after being attacked by a Rhihorn. This is the first Pokemon on human attack in 60 years.  
Professor, the shrine has been broken into. This leads me to believe that the mythical Terra Sphere is real, and if you've read the ancient stories, it cannot fall into evil hands. With the mountain torn from its slumber, it is only a matter of time before before It is broken free from its restraints.  
The hologram flickered off and left the Professor speechless. He stood up abruptly and closed his laptop, stuffed it into a brown leather satchel, and headed to the door.

"Professor? Where are you going?" Asked Adella, stepping to the side.

"I'm going to pay Howie and Chief Keen Eye a visit, you and Lucas are in charge while I'm gone!" With that, Prof. Mangrove hurried out of the lab, and into the night.

xXx

The sun had just risen when the first signs of life began stirring around the city. Marik sat on the roof thinking, Eevee asleep on his lap. Having woken up early for the second day in a row, he decided to watch the sunrise and enjoy the day before the usual noise and activity set in.

Marek used this time to contemplate the future of his travels and his goals. Marek recently discovered that his and Erick's gym battle had been recorded and added to his Trainer profile, accessible to anyone to see. Jony's had been uploaded too, and Marik had watched it along with other of his videos for the past 30 minutes.

'I know he's far ahead of me and Erick in terms of strength, but his Pokemon are unbelievable.' He thought. 'He's got to have more than a hundred, and it looks like they're all evenly trained. I hope I don't have to face him in the Estival Cup right away, two and half months isn't enough time to train for a trainer like him.'

"Can I join you up here?"

Marek jumped at the unexpected voice, waking up the Pokemon in his lap. Looking up towards the voice, he saw the girl which had snuck up on him. She had on a red V-neck shirt with a long black-sleeved shirt under, blue jeans, white shoes and a red, black, and white beanie. What Marek noticed the most, however, was how pretty she was.

"Are you gonna answer me, or keep looking at me?" She teased.

"Oh! O-of course!" Marek said, blushing. Eevee growled quietly but was silenced by it's Trainer.

Minutes passed as Marek sat awkwardly next to the unknown girl, playing with the soft tufts of fur on Eevee's neck and staring at the buildings across the street, which began to show signs of people arriving at their offices. Luckily, it was her that started the conversation.

"So, is that the Pokemon Prof. Mangrove gave you?"

"Yep! Plus I got a Charmander from my parents as a going away present. "

"Wanna see mine?" She asked, Pokeball in hand. Without waiting for an answer she tossed the ball straight up, releasing her Starter Pokemon.

Marek looked in curiosity as Eevee stared warily, ears flattened beside its head. The Pokemon had a pale yellow body, with black limbs and head. What Marek noticed most, however, was the large set of jaws protruding from the back of its head that were about the same size as the Pokemon itself. Without his Pokedex Marek struggled to remember the name of this creature.

"It's a Mawile, one of the Pokemon to recently be reclassified as a Fairy type as well as part Steel." The girl explained. "She's pretty feisty." As if to agree with her Trainer, the small Pokemon snapped its jaws.

Finally finding something to talk about, Marek lost his timidity and found it easier to talk to the girl, mostly about Pokemon. Lost in conversation, neither Trainer noticed when the sun rose in the sky until the city's tune alerted them. The girl stood up, looking at her Pokedex.

"Well, I better get going, it's already 9 o' clock!" She said.

"W-wait!" Marek called out, standing up. "What's your name?"/p

"It's-"

Her sentence was cut off by the sound of screeching tires and metal slamming against another object. Startled, both Trainers looked down from the roof and to the street below. As they stared, they watched a Pokemon, which had shiny steel spike-like segments on its back, flip a truck over and take a large bite out of the driver of the truck crawled out through the passenger window and began to run. Lairon noticed the sudden movement and charged at the man. With a shower of sparks the Steel type scraped past parked cars as it slowly ran down the sidewalk. Marek turned towards the girl but discovered that she had left, and he quickly made his way down to the lobby of the Pokemon Center.

Pushing his way through the crowd of people staring through the windows, he entered his room and after hurriedly changing into the clothes he wore yesterday began to search for his friends. Ignoring the warnings not to go outside he did the opposite, and felt the trembling of the ground as Lairon appeared in the distance, setting off car alarms.

Eevee and Charmander broke free from their Pokeballs and stood beside each other, staring down at the monster threatening to flatten their master. However, there was a flicker of movement in a tree Lairon was about to pass, and a split-second later the Iron Armor Pokemon was sent tumbling across the road, tearing down a lamp post like it was a twig. The Pokemon responsible was familiar to Marek as it was the same species as Jony's original starter; the Pokemon resembling a green gecko. The Lairon's pride was obviously hurt by being taken down by a Pokemon much smaller than it, and he charged recklessly with a Double Edge. Treecko had plenty of time to react and slid underneath it, planting a Leech Seed onto its underbelly. The attack did the trick, drawing a roar from the rampaging Pokemon as the Seeds sapped its energy.

Just as Treecko was charging an Energy Ball, a pair of large, reinforced white trucks came to a screeching halt feet away from the battle. The back doors of one truck flew open as Lairon was lifted up, enveloped in a blue light. Already weakened it could not break loose from the psychic hold and it was slammed down with a thud and a cloud of dust. The Pokemon responsible, which was standing on the asphalt, was predominantly white with blue paws, and a collar, a tuft of hair on its head, and the base of its tail being the same shade.

When the dust cleared the Lairon had fainted, and Treecko was standing next to Jony a few feet away from the mysterious trucks, with Erick climbing out of the tree. Lairon was being lifted onto the bed of one vehicle as the driver got out. On the driver's door the letters 'T' and 'M' were intertwined in gold lettering outlined by a dark blue. The man that came out was wearing a dark blue suit and nicely combed brown hair, and was handsome enough to be able to pass as a movie star.

"Thanks son, we'll take care of this beast now." He said to Jony, surveying the damage caused by the rampage. As he headed into the Pokemon Center, the mysterious Pokemon waited by the car with a slightly vexed look.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Erick scanned the strange Pokemon from a distance.

'Meowstic, the Constraint Pokemon. The eyeball patterns on the interior of its ears emit psychic energy. It keeps the patterns tightly covered because that power is too immense. When in danger, it raises its ears and releases enough psychic power to grind a 10-ton truck into dust.'

"Wow, Treecko sure is strong!" Marek said to Jony. "I'm guessing it's related to Sceptile?"

Jony nodded, picking up the Grass Type. "Yup, one of Lagarto's critters." He replied simply.

"I wonder what was with that Lairon." Erick said. " We're no where near their natural habitat, how could it have gotten all the way here?"

"Maybe it was being transported somewhere." Jony guessed.

Just then Marek noticed the muscular figure running towards them with a Machamp beside him.

"Hey, it's Derek!" All three Trainers turned towards the short man.

"I heard there was an enraged Lairon causing chaos down here! Where is it!?" The Gym Leader shouted, in between pants.

"The situation has been taken care of, by me." Said the man in the suit, exiting the Pokemon Center followed by a large crowd.

"Who are you? Don't you know these kinds of public safety matters are better left to a Gym Leader?" Asked Derek while looking at the taller man.

"And where was this 'Gym Leader' when a wild Pokemon was plowing through the streets, causing thousands of Poke-dollars in property damage and endangering the lives of hundreds?" Interrogated the man in return. Not waiting for a response, he continued. "I did a public service by containing this Lairon when the protector of this fine city did not." Derek just glared at him as he got into his truck.

"It's time for a change. The Gym Leaders have become too complacent and lazy, and the League has become soft." Finishing his rant, the man handed Derek a card and drove off, Lairon in tow. Once the trucks was gone Derek crumpled up the card and marched off, muttering angrily under his breath.

"Wow, that guy just told Derek off to his face, no one does that!" Marek heard someone from the crowd say. Erick picked up the crumbled card and showed it to Jony and Marek. In letters similar to those on the truck, the word 'Mutiny' was written.

**And thats it for now! This chapter was a bit rushed so sorry if its subpar, and also Sorry for taking so long to update, no excuses this time. Anyways, if I didn't get to introducing your OCs this chapter I will next time, but I am still accepting them! One thing to add though: if you submit one, please do not have them impact the flow of the story, it would be difficult to incorporate them as I already planned out the events that will happen. As usual, please leave a review to give me advice or your thoughts on anything that's happened, feel free to PM me with any questions or comments! I'll try not to take so long to update next time! (P.S: I've read the past chapters and noticed a few mistakes, so bare with me as I'm writing all of this on my smartphone.  
And as I promised, the list of Pokemon and their Trainers.**

**Jonny- Electivire, Typhlosion, Treeko**

**Marek- Charmander, Eevee**

**Erick- Bulbasaur, Houndour**

**EDIT: Because many OC submissions have the same Pokemon as others, please choose at least two other Pokemon in case I need to replace them as to not conflict with existing/future characters.**


	6. Chapter 6

The winds whipping around the majestic Mt. Royal were all Prof. Mangrove could hear atop the large, white bird known as Swanna. A ways ahead of the Pokemon and it's owner were two other avian Pokemon; one was a Noctowl which carried Howard "Howie" Klopp, an old apprentice and friend, and currently a field researcher for the Nova City Research Base. Leading the two men was a massive tan and white Pidgeot, the beautiful colored feathers on its head trailing well behind it. Nestled on the feathers of its back was a man widely considered as one of the most influential people in Solacia: Chief Keen Eye, leader of one of the two indigenous tribes of the Region.

The three men reached their destination 19,000 feet above sea level and landed with a shower of powdery snow, and were met with a prinstine, white landscape. The peak of Mt. Royal showed no signs of the Pokemon that inhabited the mountains as the Professor surveyed his surroundings. Standing out from the completely white landscape was a scarred, gray stone temple, the reason for which they came.

"There it is." The chief said from atop the Pidgeot. The Professor climbed off the back of the long necked Bird and onto firm ground and made his way toward the ancient temple, the snow swallowing his feet up to the top of his snow boots.

"Me and Chief recently discovered the altar's dome was open." Howie said as he recalled his Noctowl. "The Pokemon haven't been as peaceful as they were before."

Prof. Mangrove stopped just as he reached the steps of the temple, followed by the two men. On the steps where his Swanna previously was now stood a tall, muscular Arcanine. The canine nodded at its trainer and sat straight, keeping watch as the men entered the ancient building.

Although it was dim, enough light to illuminate the inside came through the doorway. Every wall was covered in its entirety with ancient pictograms used by the first humans to live in Solacia. The Professor already knew what they told, as the pictograms had been translated some time back. It told the story of the Region's creation, of a land that was unpredictable and nearly unsuitable for living until it was tamed by the few inhabitants of the region with the help of various Pokemon.

The men stopped as they reached the center of the building. From the floor, a dome structure was built from the same type of stone. Four segments made up the dome with a small circular segment connecting it all. At least, that's how it was before.

"The segment on top has been broken." Howie stated. "The Sphere is gone as well."

As he peered inside the structure the Professor accidentally nudged one segment, causing it to slowly fall until it hit the floor with a loud _thud_, making all three men jump. Chief Keen Eye was wide-eyed as the altar was desecrated further until he noticed what the other two men had seen.

"There is writing." He said simply.

"Yes, a message left for whenever the dome is opened." Answered the Professor, bent down to get a better look. "There's more on the other segments. I don't know what they say, but if I can get a picture I can send it to be translated."

The remaining three segments were laid down by the three, and the Professor wasted no time in taking various pictures from different angles. Once they had put the dome back together they exited the eerie temple.

**_xXx_**

"You want us to deliver a package?"

After the events at Hurlyburr City two days prior, Marek and co. had set out en route to Cacalo Town, and were currently eating around a campfire somewhere along the route, enjoying the peaceful night on a grassy knoll. It was during his meal that the young trainer had gotten a video call from the Professor.

"That's correct, Marek. I have pictures as well as some confidential information I need to have delivered to a colleague, and I trust in you three to deliver it soundly."

"Why not use the Pelipper Express? Or send it digitally?" Asked Erick, with a yawn.

"There _are _ways more secure than sending it with a couple of kids." Added Jony.

"Yes, yes, but I'm afraid this man lives outside the Express' delivery zone, and it is against Zenith League protocol to have classified information as digital files, what with hackers and whatnot." Explained the Professor. "I'd have my assistants deliver it but we're spread out rather thinly at the moment and I can't spare one to go on a quest."

Marek wasn't sure about taking the responsibility of delivering an important package for the Professor and thought about it while stroking Eevee's fur. "The Estival Cup is coming up and we need to have enough time to prepare.."

"I assure you that you'll plenty of time to get ready for the tournament." Responded Prof. Mangrove. "I've taken the liberty of drawing up the most time-efficient routes to take so that you spend as little time as possible."

"Well.. I guess we could do you this favor."

"Splendid!" Cheered the older man. "I'll have the package dropped off and ready for you once you reach Cacalo Town. I'll even write a note to Oswald telling him to reward you for your services."

"It's no problem Professor." Marek replied with a slight smile. "We'll be happy to help, right guys?"

Marek received no replies from the other two trainers except for their snores, as he found them passed out and sound asleep.

"They're out cold." Laughed Prof. Mangrove, checking his watch. "Wow, it _is _late, i've kept you up too long, I'm sure you're tired from your travels. Thanks again Marek, I'm sure I can trust you and Erick if both of you are anything like your fathers."

Marek couldn't help but grin at the comparison. "Of course sir, we'll keep it safe with everything we've got!"

"I'm sure you will young trainer, goodnight now."

With that the call ended, and Marek laid back into his sleeping bag and glanced towards his two sleeping Pokemon, then up at the dappled night sky. The dimly lit constellations provided a calming sense to him as he slowly drifted unconscious.

**xXx**

**_"_**Shouldn't we at least leave him a note for when he wakes up?"

Erick whispered to Jony as the two put on coats to combat the chill of the dawn. Across from him on the other side of the extinguished camp fire, Marek and his Pokemon slept peacefully, clearly tired after a day of trekking.

"We won't take too long, the sooner we leave the better chance we have of finding something good." Responded Jony as he turned towards the woods. It was 6:15 in the morning, the sun had just started to replace the moon in the sky. "The matutinal Pokemon are just starting to come out, it's the perfect time, trust me."

Jony sighed when he saw Erick's confused look at his last sentence.

"I mean, the morning Pokemon."

The two spent time exploring off the trails, Treecko walking alongside Jony and Houndour bounding left and right with Erick. Nothing of interest was found, mostly Bug Pokemon and Flying types. Houndour had lured out a Furret from it's burrow but it quickly ran away, not that Erick was interested in having the Normal type as a part of his team.

Erick sat on a stump and yawned. "I think we're up too early, all the good Pokemon are still sleeping."

Treecko climbed up trees and leapt from branch to branch, enjoying it's time in his natural habitat of dense forests. As he leapt from a springy branch above Erick it shook violently, so much that it caused a roosting Pokemon to be flung down and onto the top of the newbie's head with a squeaky chirp.

"Ouuuuch!"

Erick toppled sideways, grabbing his head with both hands. "What was that?!"

"It's a Natu. I didn't know there was any in this forest." Jony told him, a hint of surprise in his voice.

As the tiny, green bird stood staring at the older trainer, Houndour pounced onto the Pokemon from behind but landed on nothing. A few feet from the Dark type stood Natu, chirping and jumping. Once again Houndour pounced, but Natu simply leapt high up onto a branch out of reach and looked down at the canine who had crashed into a tree, chirping in amusement. Houndour, angered at being toyed with began barking.

"A Natu!" Exclaimed Erick. "It'd make a good addition to the squad, I'm gonna catch it!"

With a flash of red light Bulbasaur was called out and ready for battle. "Bulbasaur, try to catch that Natu with your vines!"

As the slender green vines came out from beneath the Grass type's bulb and lashed out towards the branch, the small Psychic disappeared and reappeared onto another branch yards away, and chirped again.

"It knows Teleport." Jony told Erick. "This is gonna be tricky."

"Houndour use Ember!"

The Dark type barked specks of burning ash at the bird but this time it leapt onto a branch deeper in the woods.

"Oh no you don't! Let's go after it guys!"

Erick waved his Pokemon forward and charged into the woods intent on capturing the clever Tiny Bird Pokemon.

Jony once again sighed at Erick, already telling it would be a long morning.

**_..._**

When Marek woke up, he noticed only Eevee, who was cleaning his fur, and Charmander were there. Neither Erick nor Jony were in sight, their bags were also gone. Stretching out his remaining sleepiness, Marek changed into yesterday's clothes and packed up his sleeping bag.

"Do you two know where the guys went?" He asked his two companions.

Charmander shrugged and Eevee shook his head, neither having been awake prior to their absence. As the Trainer cleaned up the campsite and contemplated calling either of the missing trainer's Pokedex, a cry for help startled both him and the Pokemon.

Marek wasted no time in hesitating and ran towards the sound, the Pokemon chasing after their reckless master. Normally He would take a more cautious approach, but with the disappearance of his friends and still being half asleep, Marek listened to his instincts.

Last night, the three travelers had opted to camp near a stream for easier access to water. The cries for help seemed to be coming from that direction, and Marek sprinted through the woods and jumped over logs towards the body of water.

The stream was much larger and moved faster than it had before, and seemed to have flooded. Clutching a sapling which was bent by the might of the current was a girl in a white beanie and red shirt, the source of the outcries. Marek then realized it was _the_ girl in a white beanie and red shirt, the same one that he had talked to in the roof two days ago.

The girl spotted him on the side of the stream and cried out louder, gasping for air after every time she went down under the surface.

"Marek! Help me!"

He didn't remember telling her his name but pushed that thought aside, determined to save the girl in distress. Looking up at the tall trees, he had an idea.

"Charmander, jump and use Scratch to cut one of those branches off!"

The fire lizard nodded and jumped... But not high enough, landing on its face and receiving a face palm from Eevee.

"This isn't a game Charmander! We need to save her!" Exclaimed Marek, waving his arms frantically. This time Charmander got a running start and managed to scratch the bottom of the branch. After a couple more tries, however, Charmander swung his claws particularly hard and sliced cleanly through the branch. Quickly, Marek grabbed the cumbersome branch and extended it towards the girl, who reached it and held on tightly.

"Ok guys, pull!"

Marek, Charmander, and Eevee (who used his teeth) pulled on the branches hard as they could and struggled to keep hold. It wasn't the weight of the girl but rather the force of the current which made it so difficult, but nonetheless the trio were able to drag her onto the safety of the shore.

As she coughed and wheezed on all fours, Marek stopped shaking and felt the adrenaline die down. Once he regained his composure he started talking.

"Our campsite is a couple minutes away, you can dry up and rest over there if you'd like?"

The girl only nodded in affirmation as she stood up to follow Marek through the woods.

Nearing the campsite Marek could make out the figures of his traveling companions, and of an unfamiliar green Pokemon.

"Where were you guys?"

Marek asked as he reached the edge of the camp.

"We went searching for a new Pokemon, say hi to my new Natu!"

The Natu only stared at Marek, it's blinking the only indication hat it wasn't a toy.

"It took us _3 hours_ to catch that thing." The annoyance was clear in Jony's voice.

Marek and the girl, who introduced herself as Cristal, sat across from the two boys and filled them in on the morning's occurrence. According to her, the stream had flooded suddenly, only giving her a chance to hold onto a sapling.

"She's right," Jony said, looking at his Pokedex. "There are alerts from Officials that the Farland Dam broke." The news shocked everyone.

"It broke?!"

The Farland Dam was arguably the most important man made structure in Solacia, regulating the amount of water in many rivers in Western Solacia. Without the dam, rivers would begin to flood with the runoff of melted snow coming from the mountains bordering Oslek.

"This is gonna complicate things," Jony continued. "There's a larger stream between between here and Cacalo Town, the route's gonna be impassable if it floods."

"We gotta get moving then!" Erick said, standing up. "That package is waiting for us at the Cacalo Pokemon Center to be delivered!"

The boys packed up their camp as Cristal dried off with help from Charmander, and all four set out to reach the town before the route was closed.

After passing the first stream the next was about five hours of hiking away, meaning they arrived around midday. The river had indeed flooded over and knocked over some thin trees. The current was moving much faster than normal and crossing it now would be nearly impossible, so they walked downstream towards a small bridge constructed for such situations. It was built out of cobblestone atop a cement base to prevent the soil from eroding out from under it and provided a safe passage across wild river.

There was a total of 6 figures gathered at the bridge; two young men about Jony's age, a tall, svelte-looking woman, and three strange Pokemon which Marek could not find names for. The woman stood a few feet away from one of the men, had black hair with white tips peeking out from under a black helmet, and wore a khaki blouson jacket, black tight cargo pants and black leather boots. A tan, muscular Pokemon leaning on two short, thick cement pillars standing protectively behind her. The man in front of her seemed to be in charge of ordering the two Pokemon, which resembled the large one, to chip away at the concrete base, while the other man did so with a jackhammer. Both wore outfits resembling the woman's, and even had the tips of their hair dyed white. All three had a white raised fist that clenched a Pokeball imprinted on their backs.

"Hey!" Jony yelled out as he saw them vandalize the structure, getting the attention of the trainers and their Pokemon. "What are you doing to the Bridge!?"

"What's it matter to you?" One man said. "Get outta here, scram!"

"Who are you three?" Marek asked, wondering what the symbol on their jacket stood for.

"These two are Mickey and Bill. We're harbingers of a new era." Responded the woman calmly, keeping her name a secret. "We work for someone with big plans to reshape the region."

"What's that got to do with making this bridge collapse?" Jony slid his hands toward his belt as Erick asked the question, unclipping a Pokeball and holding it behind his back.

"We're just causing a bit of chaos." Said Bill, the one with a jackhammer. "Gotta keep those pesky policemen occupied."

Erick grabbed Bulbasaur's Pokeball and pointed forward. "Well we're not gonna let you!"

Marek and Cristal stared wide-eyed at the boy while Jony face palmed, losing the element of surprise.

"Erick are you crazy!?" Hissed Marek. "It's not our job to handle these goons, we're not police!"

"Did you here that Mickey?"

"Sure did Bill, he just called us goons. Looks like we're gonna have to teach 'em some respect."

The two henchmen looked towards the woman, just rolled her eyes.

"With those weaklings you call Gurdurr? Please, taking on those little kids wouldn't even be worth our time." The woman stepped forward and stared analytically at Jony as if she was inspecting his very core.

"The tall one looks like he can put up a fight though, plus he's kinda cute."

Marek, Erick, and Cristal stared back and forth between her and Jony, not bothered by her comments as he analyzed her with the same scrutiny he received.

"You were only trying to cross, right? So here's the deal: you and I battle, and if you win we'll let you go across and be on your way. You didn't see us, and we didn't see you."

"What if he loses?" Asked Cristal.

Marek and Erick had to bite their tongues to hold back their laughter at the question. They both knew Jony was incredibly talented and had an exceptional competitive battling record, with barely enough loses to enter the double digits.

"If he loses... Well, our boss doesn't take kindly to people who meddle with us."

"I accept."

All eyes were on Jony now as he stepped forward, handing Marek a Pokeball as he held another in his right had.

The lady smiled.

"Let's see.." She looked down at the Pokeballs clipped to her belt before turning to the bulky creature next to her.

"Conkeldurr hasn't had a good fight in a while, I'll use him."

The Conkeldurr grunted and raised his concrete canes as he moved forward, making the ground tremble a little.

Jony stepped forward and faced the Muscular Pokemon. "I'll even match your Pokemon's home region, let's do this."

**I'll admit this wasn't what I had planned for this chapter but I didn't want to go so long without uploading. Because I introduced new characters this time, the next chapter will include at least two OCs, and there will more action-packed, scintillating battles between rookies and high level trainers so be sure to favorite or follow the story!**

**Jony: Magmortar, Electivire, Treecko**

**Erick: Bulbasaur, Houndour, Natu**

**Marek: Charmander, Eevee**


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